Need For Speed will require an internet connection, and here's why

You can't play Ghost Games' forthcoming Need For Speed reboot offline, the game's executive producer has confirmed. It's no surprise, considering how central social connectivity has been in the last two instalments. The studio confirmed as much back in May, but there's also a new hook: rewards for impressive in-game snapshots.

"We’ve been pretty big with Autolog throughout the years and, as we know, it’s a really powerful feature," executive producer Marcus Nilsson told OXM. "This time around we’re going to give it more of a human voice. It will treat your friend’s play as if it is part of the narrative experience."

"We also have a new snapshot system as well," he continued. "Which is taking pictures of a lot of different moments – [they go] out to the Need for Speed network where people can ‘like’ them, and those likes are being pushed back into the game as currency. So you get progression from sharing your photos."

So there you go – fishing for social media 'likes' has finally penetrated the world of night racing. Whether the feature will have any stick or not is yet to be seen, but one thing is certain: you'll need to be connected to the internet to play Need For Speed.

Shaun is PC Gamer’s Australian editor and news writer. He mostly plays platformers and RPGs, and keeps a close eye on anything of particular interest to antipodean audiences. He (rather obsessively) tracks the movements of the Doom modding community, too.